Are dog days behind Real Maryland?

At mid-summer, Monarchs have work to do in USL standings

A "rough patch" in recent weeks has not sapped the confidence of Real Maryland soccer coach Anthony Hudson.

"Our goal from the beginning was to win this league," Hudson said of his United Soccer League-Second Division club. "And that hasn't changed. We have the players; I think all the players believe we can win the league. And I'm right there with them."

Despite their fifth-place standing in the six-team division, the Monarchs (3-4-5) are only one point out of the playoff race with eight games remaining. They had a five-match unbeaten streak through mid-June before two straight losses dropped them in the standings.

Their last win was an exciting one: a 2-1, come-from-behind ouster of Reading United AC, a Premier Development League team June 15. It was Real's first game in the annual Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a tournament open to all United States Soccer Federation-affiliated teams, ranging from amateur leagues to Major League Soccer clubs.

Against an opponent from a lower league, the Monarchs nevertheless needed extra time to win. After falling behind, 1-0, two of the team's most consistent performers decided the outcome. Striker Jyler Noviello headed home the game-winner on a cross by midfielder Ben Hunter, after fellow middie Nicki Paterson swung a free kick around the wall and into the lower 90 in the 70th minute.

"Jyler's been very effective in the box, and obviously very strong in the air," Hudson said. "And Nicki; we've got eight games left and I guarantee Nicki will score a handful of goals. He's had so many opportunities where he hits the post or just misses. We've just lacked up front a little bit."

Part of that is due to misfortune. In consecutive losses to Richmond and Pittsburgh, the Monarchs scored just one, with forwards David Bulow and Jamie Darvill battling injuries. But that is hardly an excuse; the Monarchs have struggled to score all season, currently registering a league-low 10 goals.

"Finishing good chances," will determine whether the Monarchs can return to the playoffs for the second consecutive year, according to Hudson, as well as another telling word: consistency. When asked to name his most reliable performer, Hudson immediately responded with goalkeeper Brian Levey.

That was it.

However, that is as much an encouraging sign as it is an indictment.

"I think every player we have on the field has done very, very well for us; they're just guilty of being inconsistent," Hudson said. "We've got 24 possible points left, 24 points to play for. We know we have the tools to win it all, if we can just string together performances we are capable of."

The Monarchs host the Harrisburg City Islanders (1-6-4) at 6 p.m. Thursday at Richard Montgomery High.